AEK came back from behind and beat Levadiakos with ten men

AEK Athens FC beat Levadiakos 2-1 at the Allwyn Arena, with a penalty and a late red card deciding a match the chances alone would not explain.

AEK Athens FC won the match after going behind, and they finished it with ten men for the last ten minutes. Răzvan Marin was sent off in the 80th minute after a VAR review upgraded his booking to a red card. Two penalty decisions and that dismissal shaped the result more than the chances did.

Levadiakos had led since the 26th minute, when Moses David Cobnan scored with Alexandru Grigoraş Pantea credited with the assist. Their lead came on limited work: they had six shots, where they usually take 10.3 away from home. Their chances were worth 0.52 expected goals, a measure of how likely a chance is to go in, against a usual 1.04.

AEK Athens FC had 69% of the ball, well above the 58.4% they usually hold at home, while Levadiakos had 31%, below their usual 45.3% away. Possession does not guarantee chances, but here it came with them. AEK's chances ran well ahead of their normal level, even though the number of shots was close to usual.

AEK Athens FC took 16 shots, near their usual 17.4, so the difference was in the quality of the chances rather than the volume. Their chances added up to 2.52 expected goals, far above the 1.88 they usually create at home, and 13 of those shots came from inside the box. Levadiakos' goalkeeper, N. Eliasi, made five saves, the most work of anyone on the pitch.

Luka Jovic converted the penalty in the 51st minute, after Marin had been awarded the spot kick in the 47th. Barnabás Varga then scored in the 55th minute, assisted by Mijat Gaćinović, and his rating of 8 was the highest in the match. A second penalty was cancelled after VAR in the 84th minute, with Kervin Arriaga the player listed against that decision.

AEK Athens FC are fifth in the table with 17 points from eight matches. Levadiakos are 11th, with six points from nine, and have won only once away this season. They have scored three goals on the road in that time, and conceded 11.

AEK Athens FC have won five of their eight matches so far and scored 21 goals. They have a record that suits their place near the top, and this win added three points to it.

Player of the matchB. Varga1 goal8.0

M. Cobnan1 goal7.6

L. Jović1 goal7.3

A. Koita3 chances created7.2